As a person with low vision and a secondary medical condition that makes it challenging to go to stores, almost every single purchase I make is either through online shopping or browsing a product online before making the decision to go pick it up at a store. While I can (usually) zoom in on product images to enlarge them further, I find image descriptions to be even more helpful when it comes to learning more about the visual details of a product, since things like styling or cluttered backgrounds can make it difficult for me to get the information I need visually. I love supporting brands that recognize the need for accessible product listings, so I’ve created a guide for how to write image descriptions about online products to help more sellers add this information to their product listings and enable independent shopping for people with vision loss (inclusive of blind, low vision, and other forms of visual impairment).
What is an image description? What is alt text?
Image descriptions are text-based descriptions of visual details in an image written primarily for people who are visually impaired (inclusive of blind/low vision/neurological visual impairment). Image descriptions are similar to alt text descriptions that are used by screen readers to recognize images, though there are a few key differences between alt text and image descriptions:
- Location. Alt text is typically attached to an image metadata or added in the “alt text” box on social media. Image descriptions may be in the image caption, in a text post, product description, or otherwise incorporated into a social media post.
- Visibility. Alt text is usually only visible to screen readers, which read the alt text out loud or display it on a braille display. Image descriptions are “exposed” and can be read by anyone. Saving an image does not save its alt text.
- Length of text. While alt text is typically limited to 100-250 characters, image descriptions can be the same length or even longer, since they are included in the photo caption, in a text post, or text link.
- Level of detail. Image descriptions tend to go more in-depth about visual details than alt text due to the larger character limit.
I recommend including both alt text and image descriptions so that everyone can read descriptions of images, not just screen reader users- especially since many users with low vision do not use screen readers when browsing social media. I personally prefer accessing image descriptions because they can be rendered in large print sizes and accessed visually, unlike alt text that may appear as smaller text or only when a screen reader is turned on.
Related links
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired
- How To Access Images Without Alt Text
- Options For Writing Extended Image Descriptions On Social Media
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Low Vision
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- How To Write Video Descriptions For TikTok
HOW TO POST ALT TEXT ON POPULAR SHOPPING PLATFORMS AND IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS
When it comes to posting alt text and image descriptions for visually impaired audiences, I recommend posting image descriptions in the caption of a post or listing with the label “Image Description:” or “ID:”, and embedding alt text into the image when uploading. Since alt text disappears if the user saves the image to their own device, I recommend including both alt text and image descriptions in a post.
HOW TO ADD ALT TEXT TO ETSY (KNOWN AS TEXT ALTERNATIVE)
- Go to Shop Manager
- Select Listings, and then select a listing
- Hover over an image and select the Pencil icon. A text box will appear
- Type alt text in the text box and select save
- Repeat for additional images
HOW TO ADD ALTERNATIVE TEXT TO SHOPIFY
- From the Shopify admin page, go to Products (Products > All Products on mobile)
- Select the name of a product to edit
- From the product details page, select a media item to view the Preview Media page.
- Select add alt text. Users on mobile may need to select the three dot icon
- Type alt text and then select save alt text
- Select the X icon to exit the Preview Media page
HOW TO ADD ALT TEXT TO SQUARESPACE PRODUCTS
- On the Store page, hover over a product and double-click it
- Hover over the product image, and select the three dot icon that appears
- Select Edit Metadata
- Add desired alt text to the alt text field
- Select Apply
RELATED LINKS
- How To Add Alt Text On Social Media
- How To Write Alt Text For Color Palettes
- How To Make Your Instagram Feed Accessible For Visual Impairment
HOW TO WRITE ALT TEXT FOR JEWELRY
Alt text for online products is intended to be about 250 characters long, or a maximum of twelve words (ideally even less). In this context, alt text is read by a screen reader and is what will likely get someone using assistive technology to open a listing and read for additional details. With that in mind, examples of information to include when writing alt text for online products include:
- Type of product shown, such as a notebook, stuffed zebra, or dress. What type of product is being advertised? If the product has a name, it can still be helpful to specify what exactly is being shown— for example, I own a scarf that was advertised as “The Veronica”, but it would be helpful to specify in the alt text that it is a scarf.
- Dominant colors or materials, such as purple ceramic or pearls. The color of metal can also be included, such as sterling silver or gold karat values for jewelry, or the specific colorway shown in an image (in the case of products that come in multiple colors).
- General size of items. Is this doll furniture, a 15-inch laptop sleeve, or an oversized beanbag chair? A description of what size clothes are being shown on a model isn’t really helpful for alt text unless this information is referenced in the description (e.g. the black dress is shown in size small).
- Color of item shown, such as butter yellow. This should match the color name for the listing— I would be confused if a product’s alt text used the shade name butter yellow but the product listing was for goldenrod.
- Pattern of the item or item aesthetic, if applicable. Is it a striped notebook, or a steampunk skirt?
- Any relevant text included in an image, such as a price or text on a graphic tee. If this information is not otherwise in the image, it should not be included in the alt text.
Wow, that sounds like a lot of information to include in a small space! Chances are though that at least some of this is already located in the title of the listing, which will be read out first when navigating shopping websites. With that in mind, information from the title of the listing doesn’t necessarily need to be repeated, or only the most important details can be included. A good question to ask is “what do I want people to notice the most about this image?”
WHAT TO EXCLUDE WHEN WRITING ALT TEXT FOR Online Products
Examples of details to exclude in alt text for online products include:
- Name of the product, which is already read out loud in the link title by screen readers and may not provide much description. For example, knowing my shoes are called “the flat” doesn’t really give me any other information that isn’t already covered by the product title, but knowing it is a round-toe flat would be helpful.
- Price of the product, which can change over time. The exception is if the price is written directly on the image
- For clothing, writing the size isn’t particularly helpful for alt text unless the image is specifically labeled for that size, such as if the black dress is marked as a size small. Alt text shouldn’t infer anything or give users additional information that someone who is visually looking at the image would not otherwise know.
- Information about the model or background of the image, unless it is relevant for people purchasing the product- I don’t care that the earrings are sitting on a leaf, but I do want to know if the earrings are on the upper part of the ear instead of the earlobe
- Subjective thoughts on an item, such as if it is pretty, trendy, or ugly. A key goal of alt text is to allow the viewer to come to their own conclusion about how they should feel about an image
- Hyperlinks such as the product listing or emoji— alt text is a plain text description.
Related links
- How To Write Alt Text For Amateur Art
- Making Clothing Stores Accessible For Low Vision
- Choosing Stuffed Animals For Kids With Visual Impairment
- Choosing A Backpack With Low Vision
- How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions For Food
HOW TO WRITE IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS About Online Products
Image descriptions are located in the caption of a social media post, pinned as a comment, or included as part of a product listing so that the content can be enlarged with browser zoom, read with text-to-speech, or otherwise made accessible to those who benefit from having additional context when looking at an image. Since image descriptions generally don’t have a character limit, there is more flexibility when it comes to including detailed information. I recommend including image descriptions for product images and also providing a transcription of size charts so that the information is easier to read in plain text; tables and screenshots of tables/text can be challenging to read.
Helpful information to include when writing image descriptions for online products:
- The type of item being shown and 2-3 interesting details about it. When choosing what details to describe, consider which details of a product are likely to be noticed, such as the shape, length/size (oversized, midi length, etc.), how items are arranged, fabric texture
- Color(s) or patterns, including primary color, colors in a pattern, metal type, color of gemstones/beads, or shade names. While there is no need to describe what the color red looks like, it would be helpful to specify if a product is burgundy or scarlet.
- Measurements of the item, such as a 5-inch by 7-inch notebook, a stuffed shark measuring 100 centimeters, a 39-inch dress hem, or a necklace with a 24-inch long chain.
- Item weight, which is separate from shipping weight
- Clasp/closure information for necklaces, bracelets, or specialty backs for earrings, as well as the use of buttons or zipper closures for clothes. This can be especially relevant for customers with fine motor or dexterity challenges
- Materials used in the jewelry, such as 24K gold, rhodium plating, leather/bone, beads, and similar details. Types of fabric can also be included, such as cotton dress or linen skirt.
I usually refrain from describing models in product listings if their faces are not visible, because the focus of the image is on the product and not on the characteristics of the hand modeling it.
RELATED LINKS
- Clothing Shopping Tips For Sensory Processing Issues
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions For Jewelry
- Assistive Technology and Dressing Aids For Low Vision
Examples of alt text and image descriptions for online products
Here are some examples of alt text and image descriptions for products I currently have in the vicinity of my desk:
Here are examples of information to include when writing an image description, using the products I mentioned above:
- Alt text: “I’ll Follow The Sun” lyrics art. Image description: A digital collage print that features a large yellow sun in the bottom right corner that extends to the top right corner, taking up three quarters of the image, drawn with yellow markers and a black outline. The bright, vibrant sun rests against a sky blue watercolor background. Inside the sun, the lyrics to “I’ll Follow The Sun” by The Beatles are printed in black calligraphy writing. Printed on 8 x 10 cardstock paper.
- Alt text: Stuffed zebra with gold hooves. Image description: A plush zebra measuring 8 inches tall and 11 inches long, with smooth black-and-white stripes and metallic gold hooves. The eyes are embroidered with black thread and the zebra’s nose is mint green.
- Alt text: Small green notebook with white stripes. Image description: A 5 inch by 7 inch notebook with a hard green cover and exposed spiral binding. The cover features large white stripes that alternate with green, and the inside has unlined paper.
- Alt text: Honey yellow loafer shoes. Image description: Honey yellow loafer slip-on shoes made from merino wool fabric, with white soles and gray lining. The honey yellow is a pale yellow tint.
Related links
- How To Write Alt Text For Amateur Art
- Organizing Shoes With Vision Loss
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions For Flowers
More resources on how to write image descriptions about online products
- Interested in describing formal clothing? I share more tips in How To Create Image Descriptions For Red Carpet Looks
- For styled images on social media, it can be helpful to know what other items are included in an outfit/layout. Check out How To Write Alt Text For Casual Outfits for some examples.
- When I’m purchasing things to wear, I find it helpful to import images into Stylebook so I can enlarge them or see how they look with other items in my closet. Learn more at How I Use The Stylebook App With Low Vision and Assistive Technology and Dressing Aids For Low Vision
Published August 16, 2019. Updated November 2024